City Council: The perfect meeting

This week at City Council: nothing too controversial, two appointments, and the appropriation of $11 million towards new parking.

June 25, 2013; 7:30 AM • by John Murden

We saw something perfect this evening, the almost Platonic ideal of what makes a Richmond City Council meeting: Nothing considered was too controversial, though we heard speakers opine on what would be proper development for Shockoe Bottom and the perils of public-private partnerships. Silver and Chris and Donald made multiple appearances at the podium. There was a lengthy Consent Agenda, a sizeable chunk of which was continued to a later meeting. All in all, a good night.

Eight of the thirty items on this week’s agenda (PDF) were continued into July or September, including the potentially contentious reversal of the CAR decision on Monuement Avenue and an amendment on the Special Use Permit for Captain Buzzy’s coffee shop in Church Hill. Perhaps most notably, Council voted to approve Ordinance No. 2013-127, the Gateway Plaza Public Parking Garage Project which appropriates $11,250,000 for the purpose of constructing approximately 326 public parking spaces in a new office tower at East Cary Street and South 9th Streets.

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There were 2 appointments on the evening:

• Leighton Powell was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks (District 2 Representative)
• Jonathan C. Zur was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors Capital Area Partnership Uplifting People, Inc.

This is the part of public service that is rarely spoken about. Here we have two of Richmond’s best giving their time to make this city a better place. Thank you Leighton and Jonathan!

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The evening’s public comment period was a good example of the genre–a great deal of citizen involment with a lot of passion and an entertaining dose of WTF.

Melvin Jones – Holding a photo of Maggie Walker, seeking an update an a proposal to put a statue to Ms.Walker at Adams & Broad. Also, he doesn’t feel safe in the city anymore, “it looks like the city is going to hell”.

Donald Hatcher – “The mayor is a jack-leg preacher”, and “plays the devil and god at the same time”. Says he’s 73-years-old and that “our previous mayor wanted to play with me.” Says that black people and Native Americans have never gotten equal treatment in America.

Cliff Troutman – Requests a 100% a tax break the automobile tax for disabled veterans, as is done for the real estate tax. “I’m over 70 now and it won’t be that much longer before I’m dead”

George Robinson Jr. – Problems with water bills sent to seniors.

Patricia McBride – Recently had a slip and fall incident because a cement sidewalk had risen because of tree roots. The day after the accident, the city came and put blacktop on the sidewalk. TRAMMEL: we’ve been trying to get this fixed for a long time, acknowledges complaints about the ill-effects of the blacktop.

[?] Bell – Shockoe is a bad place to put a baseball stadium. Thanks Samuels for proposing a referendum on building a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom.

Anna Edwards – No stadium in Shockoe Bottom. “tens, perhaps of hundreds of thousands” enslaved people passed through Shockoe as chattel. The area should be memorialized, developed as a heritage site.

Phil Wilayto – We will make sure that a stadium in Shockoe “will be known as the stadium that racism built”. This will be a desecration of one of the most important sites in African-American history. Should be an outdoor museum, an educational and reconciliation site.

Chris Dorsey – Public parking is a scam. Stealing from the tax payers by increasing parking rates. “crooks like yourselves”. Everything is controlled by the Federal Reserve Bank. “You guys don’t take seriously the Constitution.” The city needs to investigate the VCU drone program. Follow the money.

Silver Persinger – Opposes Gateway Plaza. Generally opposed to public-private partnerships.

Tucker McNeal – Of the Richmond Business Council. Supports the proposed Gateway Plaza, as a more than $100,000,000 investment in the city core. Jobs. Parking.

Arthur Burton – Supports abolishing Career and Technical Education Commission. Speaking as a member of the commission.

MISSED NAME (sorry!) – Minority owner of contracting company. Supports the proposed Gateway Plaza.

Sara Timmons – Supports the proposed Gateway Plaza. Jobs!

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The following ordinances/resolutions were passed by City Council:

Ord. No. 2013-109 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend and reordain ch. 78, art. VII of the City Code by adding therein a new section numbered 78-210, concerning a voluntary retirement incentive program, to be effective Jul. 1, 2013, for the purposes of providing for (i) the alternate computation of benefits in connection therewith and (ii) a limited period during which qualified members of the Richmond Retirement System’s defined benefit and enhanced defined benefit plans shall be eligible to retire with a one-time incentive payment. (As Amended)

Ord. No. 2013-113 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $7,800 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Justice Services by $7,800 for the purpose of providing training to pretrial and probation officers on evidence-based principles designed to reduce recidivism among offenders.

Ord. No. 2013-114 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute an Operating and Maintenance Agreement between the City of Richmond and Richmond First Tee for the purpose of providing for the use by Richmond First Tee of City-owned real estate known as the Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range located at 400 School Street to provide golf, learning facilities and educational programs for area youth.

Ord. No. 2013-116 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $219,639 from the Virginia Department of Health and to appropriate the increase to the General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the City’s Health District by $219,639 for the purpose of returning surplus Fiscal Year 2011-2012 funds to the City’s Health District.

Ord. No. 2013-117 (Patrons: Mayor Jones and President Samuels) – To amend and reordain Ord. No. 2007-251-209, adopted Sep. 24, 2007, concerning the establishment of a residential permit parking district in the Carver Neighborhood, for the purpose of extending the hours of enforcement for residential permit parking in the Carver neighborhood.

Ord. No. 2013-118 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $49,484 from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services by $49,484 for the purpose of the repair of the Burn Building used to assist in the training of fire service personnel.

Ord. No. 2013-123 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept a donation of consulting and information technology services and volunteer labor valued at approximately $400,000.00 from International Business Machines Corporation for the purpose of developing strategies to improve delivery of public services and to promote economic and neighborhood development.

Ord. No. 2013-126 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Computer-Aided Dispatch Interface User Agreement between the City of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University for the purpose of implementing a pilot program to provide a means for the Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department to become an operational user of the Department of Police’s Division of Emergency Communications’ Computer-Aided Dispatch and Mobile Data Communications systems to achieve interoperability between the Department of Police and the Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department.

Ord. No. 2013-127 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend Ord. No. 2012-34-70, adopted May 14, 2012, which adopted a Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Capital Budget, to amend the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Capital Budget by establishing a new project in the Economic and Community Development category called the Gateway Plaza – Public Parking Garage Project by increasing estimated revenues from general obligation bond borrowings by $11,250,000 and the amount appropriated to the Gateway Plaza – Public Parking Garage Project by $11,250,000 for the purpose of constructing approximately 326 public parking spaces in a new office tower to be developed on a site generally bounded by East Cary Street to the north, South 9th Street to the east, East Canal Street to the South and South 8th Street to the west.

Ord. No. 2013-128 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend Ord. No. 2012-54-69, adopted May 14, 2012, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by transferring funds in the amount of $250,000 from the Department of Economic and Community Development agency and to amend Ord. No. 2012- 35-50, adopted May 14, 2012, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by creating a new special fund for the Department of Economic and Community Development called the Economic Development Opportunity Fund and by appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $250,000 to the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Economic Development Opportunity Fund special fund, all for the purpose of funding the City’s efforts to attract and retain businesses within the city of Richmond.

Ord. No. 2013-129 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend Ord. No. 2012-54-69, adopted May 14, 2012, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by transferring funds in the amount of $250,000 from the Department of Economic and Community Development agency and to amend Ord. No. 2012- 35-50, adopted May 14, 2012, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by creating a new special fund for the Department of Economic and Community Development called the Façade Improvement Fund and by appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $250,000 to the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Façade Improvement Fund special fund, all for the purpose of renovating architecturally important façades located in the Arts and Cultural District to attract businesses and promote tourism within the District.

Ord. No. 2013-130 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend Ord. No. 2012-35-50, adopted May 14, 2012, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Special Fund Budget, by creating a new special fund for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities entitled “East End Parks Improvements;” to authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept $119,535 from the J. Fulmer Bright Foundation; to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2012- 2013 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities East End Parks Improvements special fund by $119,535 for the purpose of maintaining and improving the City’s East End parks including Chimborazo, Libby Hill, Great Shiplock, Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Parker Field Park, and the yet to be developed park to be named Historic Fulton Memorial Park.

Ord. No. 2013-133 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute an Economic Development Cooperation Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond for the purpose of developing and managing a 16-story class A office building located on a site generally bounded by East Cary Street to the north, South 9th Street to the east, East Canal Street to the south and South 8th Street to the west.

Ord. No. 2013-134 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Master Development Agreement between the City of Richmond and Clayco, Inc., doing business in Virginia as Clayco Construction Company, Inc., for the purpose of developing and managing a 16-story class A office building located on a site generally bounded by East Cary Street to the north, South 9th Street to the east, East Canal Street to the south and South 8th Street to the west.

Res. No. 2013-R130 (Patron: Ms. Mosby) – To abolish the Career and Technical Education Commission; to repeal Res. No. 2009-R166-194, adopted Dec. 14, 2009; and to terminate the terms of the Commission’s members.

Res. No. 2013-R144 (Patron: Mr. Hilbert) – To concur with the inducement resolution adopted by the Economic Development Authority of Fluvanna County approving the issuance of a tax-exempt revenue bond not to exceed $4,000,000 for the benefit of Veritas Classical Christian School.

Ord. No. 2013-120 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To renounce the right to receive payment on a subordinated debt due to the City in the amount of $409,500, plus accrued interest, associated with the parking facility constructed on the property known as 201 East Grace Street, as evidenced by a certain note referenced in a contract dated March 1, 1974, between the City of Richmond and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority.

Ord. No. 2013-121 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the expenditure of up to $230,000 from the Parking Management Special Fund to the Richmond Metropolitan Authority for the purpose of providing funding to the Richmond Metropolitan Authority to satisfy the remaining balance of a bank loan constituting a lien on the property known as 201 East Grace Street.

Ord. No. 2013-122 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To declare a public necessity for and to authorize the acquisition of the parcel of real property owned by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority and known as 201 East Grace Street for the purpose of public parking.

June 25, 2013 7:30 AM 2